Weather Forecast

The East Ridge boys track and field team may be without its frontrunner in 2014, but it doesn’t mean the Raptors won’t make headlines.

East Ridge graduated Nate Roese, who broke a 20-year-old Minnesota all-time state meet record with a time of 47.56 seconds in the 400-meter dash to win his second state championship in the event, last year.

Roese, who is now running at the University of Minnesota also garnered all-state in two other events — the 200-yard dash and in the boys 1600-meter relay — a year ago.

East Ridge also is without 2013 graduate Allen Swenson, who was a two time all-state pole vaulter for the Raptors, and Suburban East Conference champion shot putter Will Neuenfeldt.

Seniors Augie Ollrich, Allan Ndovu and Bradley Simonson, who were all members of the Raptors’ all-state 1600-meter team, return to lead East Ridge this year.

Ollrich also earned all-state as an individual in the 400, taking sixth place with a time of 49.37.

At the state meet, teams are awarded points for finishing in the top nine places in each event. A first place finish garners 12 points, second place gets 10 points, third place earns eight points, and so on. The ninth place finisher earns one point. The Raptors boys finished seventh overall as a team with 27.5 points. Stillwater won the team title with 65 points and Forest Lake took second with 59.5 points. Wayzata finished third with 57 points.

At the Section 4AA meet, the East Ridge boys finished in fifth place and advanced athletes to state in four events. East Ridge placed seventh as a team at the Suburban East Conference championships.

Patrick Johnson has been the South Washington County Bulletin’s sports editor since 2008. He reports on and oversees coverage of high school and amateur sports in south Washington County and Woodbury. Prior to joining the Bulletin, Johnson worked for other Twin Cities suburban newspapers. He is a University of Minnesota graduate.